Business Briefs for Feb. 14

February 14, 2011

Mark Vander Zwaag of North Star Mutual Insurance of Cottonwood recently completed the requirements leading to the completion of the Program in General Insurance, which is an educational program that covers insurance principles, practices, and policies in depth.

Vander Zwaag began employment with North Star in March of 2010 and is a marketing representative for the Agency/Support Services Department.

MNWest offers computer classes

Minnesota West Community & Technical Colleges will offer Welcome to Office 2007. This class is geared toward those who have some office experience but would like to refresh their skills while picking up tips for more efficient usage of Word and Excel. The instructor for all sessions is Ruth Bot.

Microsoft Word 2007 Session 1 is from 2-4:30 p.m. Friday, March 4, and 11, and Session 2 is from 6:30-9 p.m. Monday, March 7 and 14. Microsoft Excel 2007 Session 3 is from 2-4:30 p.m. Friday, March 18, and 25, and Session 4 from 6:30-9 p.m. Monday, March 21, and 28, at the MERIT Center in Marshall.

The cost per session is $60 and $7 for reference guide. For more details call Denise Ahmann-800-658-2535 ext. 172

To register, contact Valerie Jordan at 507-537-7051

GreenPOWER Workshop offered in Benson and Worthington

More and more businesses are becoming aware of how they can not only help the environment, but also save money, by applying green practices in their businesses. "Going Green" is growing, and having a knowledge of green practices can help a business succeed in Minnesota's expanding green economy. Employees and job applicants who have an awareness of environmentally friendly practices in the workplace are or can become a valued part of a business.

A free, one-day GreenPOWER workshop is being offered in from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2, in Benson at the Law Enforcement Center meeting room and in Worthington on Thursday, March 3, at MN West Community & Technical College, Room 207. This training will teach a variety of environmentally friendly practices in the workplace and help participants gain awareness of sustainability methods.

This is a fun, fast-paced workshop that combines classroom-style learning with interactive "live" simulations.

Whether you are a business wanting to learn more about how to implement green practices into your workplace, an employee wanting to increase your value to an employer, a job seeker looking for skills to help increase your employability or someone who wants to learn more about using green practices in your everyday life, this workshop will benefit you.

The training is sponsored by a partnership between the BlueGreen Alliance Foundation and the SW MN Private Industry Council, with the support of an Energy Training Partnership grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The workshop is free, but workshop size is limited, so please pre-register. To register, or for more information, contact: "mailto:cdombek@swmnpic.org"cdombek@swmnpic.org (email preferred) or Carol at 320-269-5561 (Montevideo) or 1-800-422-1346.